Electrical outlets are generally placed about the exterior of a residential home for enabling outdoor electrical service. Inasmuch as the outlets are exposed to weather conditions and adversely affected by moisture and contaminants, various covering devices have been used to weatherproof the electrical components. Where longer term connections are desired, hinged housings have been proposed wherein the weatherproofing is maintained when the outlet is in service. Examples of such approaches are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,028,268; 6,133,531; 3,813,640; D460,421; and D486,452. When continuous or extended term exterior service is required, dedicated in ground is commonly used as an alternative.
The majority of exterior residential uses are only temporary applications, such as seasonal lighting and power tool operation. Where electrical shorts may be experienced, electrical safety is readily provided by substituting a ground fault current interrupter (GFCI) for a conventional duplex receptacle. Weatherproofing for the receptacle is nonetheless desirable for ongoing protection, and hinged receptacle covers meeting applicable standards, such National Electric Code and/or the Underwriters Laboratory approvals, are widely available. While these covers provide generally satisfactory results, certain deficiencies are apparent. Many use a separate cover for each receptacle outlet. In others, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,063 a single side cover is provided. As the receptacle may be mounted in either a horizontal or vertical orientation, the covers can restrict the free downward and lateral routing the electrical cord. In order to provide convenient routing in both situations, side mount and top mount covers have been proposed. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,831 discloses a universal cover plate having pairs of side and top hinge tabs that may be selectively used for the cover. The hinge tabs not required for the desired application are removed. The tabs and the cover project outwardly of the frontal profile of the cover plate and may not be compatible with recessed or limited access locations.